Batteries are used as power sources or as backup (emergency) power sources in a number of industries, including the telecommunications industry. In addition, other industries are relying more and more heavily on battery power. For example, the recent advent of true electric, battery powered vehicles has increased the interest in battery technology.
Batteries for power sources are usually provided in banks or strings, for example, a string of 24 batteries is often used for back up purposes in central offices of telecommunications providers. These backup battery power systems provide the energy to power equipment in the event of an electrical outage or failure. Therefore, maintaining the reliability of battery power systems, especially backup battery power systems is extremely important. Further, it is important to be able to predict potential power outages or failures and plan where portable engines or extra batteries may be needed.
However, a fundamental problem with battery systems is the inability to predict or estimate the available capacity without fully discharging the batteries. Therefore, there is a need for a simple, quick and cost effective method of predicting remaining battery capacity.